Had to have this drain unblocked professionally the other day, because I don't have the right kit. It blocks yearly, and so I'd like to be able to sort this myself.

The problem is, that the drain pipe goes in the direction of the arrow, away from the wall as shown in the picture below. My drain rods are not flexible enough to get around the corner with the wall being where it is, but the professional I got in the other day seemed to have a thinner, more flexible type of drain rod.

I searched on line, but could only find standard rods. Is there a particular name for this type of rod that might help me to source one?

3 Answers
3

Not sure where you're from, but here in the US we'd use a plumber's snake (also known as a "drain auger", or simply "snake", or "auger") to clear the drain. A snake is quite flexible, and should have no problem getting into that drain. You might, however, have to remove the drain cover to get the snake in (depending on the size of the snake).

I have seen those. I'm not sure that I'd get the force required from this. What I saw being used was still a proper drain rod, with a 4" plunger on the end, just thinner and more flexible.
– gb2dSep 16 '15 at 10:26

Plumber's snakes don't use brute force to clear a drain, they allow you to break the clog up into manageable pieces that can easily go down the drain.
– Tester101Sep 16 '15 at 10:32

Worth a look for sure. I'm still interested to know if there is a thinner, more flexible type of rod that I can still use brute force approach with.
– gb2dSep 16 '15 at 14:36

1

This is obviously a small hand held unit, but a larger (optionally powered auger) works in the same manner and will get around tight bends.
– StevenSep 16 '15 at 17:05

Have you considered repairing the plumbing the causes the clog?
– BrownRedHawkSep 16 '15 at 18:11

Try using the universal drain rods that most plumbing supply stores offer. They normally come with 3 sets of rods, a clearing wheel and a drop scrapper, this type of set was manufactured to be used on any type of structured pipes and based on the width of the pipes that you mentioned, these are thinner and they should be able to move and bend within your plumbing system. I hope this was helpful.